Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus



Unirse Saintes ,Parent erica.

.NATHANIEL LOMBARD, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY A. CLARK, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC FlRE-EXTINGUlSHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,657, dated February 13, '1894.

Application filed Aprill, 1893. Serial No. 470,432. (No model.) v

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LNATHANIEL LOMBARD, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will ro enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to Jthe accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically extinguishing fires, and consists in providing each room or apartment with a series of extinguishing pipes arranged in sections, each section being composed of pipes 2o perforated, or fitted with distributors. TheV water supply is admitted thereto from the main pipe only at times when a ire occurs and by means of a valve, one for each sec` tion. These valves are regulated and con- 2 5 trolled by an operating pipe, one for each section of extinguishing pipes, and hermetically sealed in order to retain a volatile liquid, which is adapted by pressure to open the supply valve.

The object of my invention is to avoid the use of numerous thermostats, which necessarily increase the expense and likewise the liability of not operating promptly and with efficiency.

A further object is to have asystem which shall contain water only in times ot' danger, thus avoiding the risk of leaks or danger from freezing. Lastly in providing a closed operating pipe which is to contain some vola- 40 tile fluid, the latter to be under pressure should a fire occur and so control a valve, which is arranged to shut od the water supply as soonas the tire is extinguished. In this manner the danger of loodinga building and thereby causing great damage after the re has been quenched is positively overcome.

The drawings represent in Figure l. a plan in diagram ofl automatic fire-extinguishing 5o apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ot the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the supply valve, longitudinally of the branch or extinguishing pipes, and showing a portion ot' the operating pipes and connecting mechanism. Fig. i is an end elevation of the same' elements. Fig. 5 is a modification of the mechanism for operating the su pply valve.

Insaid drawings 2 represents a fluid supply pipe or main located preferably in the center of an apartment and forming part of tire-extinguishing apparatus, which is composed of a numberof sections 3, each of which is provided with branch pipes 4, and lateral pipes 5. These latter may be perforated or preferably equipped with sprinklers or distributers 6. at intervals in order to more effectually scatter the water. A supply valve 7 is placed in each branch pipe in proximity to the main pipe 2, and is adapted to be shut, when the apparatus is in its normalv condition or when no fire is in progress. Thus it is evident that each section with extinguishing pipes 5. is kept free from liquid until a fire occurs; hence the danger of leaks is minimized, while the danger of freezingis obviated. In connection with this system of pipes and forming an important feature of my invention I have arranged a number of closed pipes 8, which I term operating pipes since their duty is torender active the extinguishing pipe sections. Said pipes are hermetically sealed and adapted to contain some volatile duid. Preferably there is one operating pipe for each section of extinguishing pipes, and said pipe may be extended in any direction, where danger from tire may occur or when it is desirable that certain of said sections shall operate to extinguish the flames. As before stated said pipes are termed the operating pipes and their function is to provide for movement of the valves, which control the water to the various pipe sections. This is effected as follows: At the ends of the pipes S in proximity to the valves 7 I attach preferably twin Bourdon tubes 9, the movable ends of which are united to the lower end ofthe valve-rod lO of the valve 7. This rod is extended upward into the main pipe and is fitted with a piston 12, which moves loosely in an offset in said pipe. This arrangement is to prevent lifting oi the valve,

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when the latter is once brought to its seat, since the water flows in on the rear of the piston, and the resistance of the latter moving in the fluid prevents the valve from rising or jumping which otherwise would occur. As will be understood from the drawings the valves 7 are held closed by hydrostatic pressure and opened by internal pressure of the volatile tluid in the closed operating pipe 8 by mechanism which is arranged to lift the valve suddenly from its seat.

In lieu of the Bourdon tubes before mentioned, I have shown in Fig. 5, mechanism by which to open the valves 7. In said drawings the valve-rod 10 is not only kfitted with a piston 12 in the main supply pipe, but it extends below the valve and hasa disk 14 at its lower extremity. Said disk enters a short pipe 15 adapted to contain a cylindrical plum ger 16, while a coil spring 17, or spring of other form, is interposed between the plunger and disk on the valve-rod. These parts are so disposed that a prop action is im parted to the valve, when pressure is created within the operating pipes, due to the presence of a tire. This I explain as follows: When the uid in said operating pipe is Volatilized pressure is exerted against the plunger and since this latter element is opposed in its movement by the hydrostatic pressure on the valve, the spring 17 is thereby compressed until the pressure upon the plunger has over-'balanced the Waterpressure; at this moment, or when the valve is unseated, the spring is allowed to exert its tension, and the valve is suddenly thrown up with a pop action, the water rushing suddenly in and filling the extinguishing pipes in that section which is to be operated. In this way the water is thrown suddenly upon the fire.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the room or apartment is in anormal condition the valves 7 are closed and the several sections are empty or free from liquid. The operating pipes which contain volatile fluid are in readiness to act; hence should a fire occur inproxi1nity to any of said pipes 8 the pressure created therein by. heat action causes the Bourdon tubes at their free ends or those attached to the valve-rod to rise upwardly since the lower ends are fixed. Inasmuch as the valve is held to its seat by the hydrostatic pressure, the pressure within the operating pipe 8 is opposed until it exceeds the hydrostatic pressure in the supply pipes. Hence the Valve, as soon as it is raised from its seat moves up quickly and the water enters the section, which is called into service, and suddenly floods th at portion of the apartment where it is located. o To insure an ample supply ot water the operating pipes may be cov ered with a shield (not shown) to protect them from direct action of the water. Uponcessai tion of the nre the pressure in the operating pipe is removed and the water pressure together with the resilient action of the Bourdon tubes returns the valve to its seat.

One advantage in this system is that the operating pipes may be extended to every portion ofthe room ata very small expense, while the extinguishing pipes with their sprinklers can be arranged in the most available manner to command every portion of the room and with .the least possible amount of piping and other apparatus. f

1. In automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus the combination with a common supply pipe, a series of sections composed of numerous open branch pipes with perfor-ations, of

valves which control the iuid supply to each A and extending about an apartment to he protected, a series of valves one for each section, and mechanism actuated by pressure created in times of danger in the closed pipes to open the valves, substantially as set forthV and stated.

3. In automatic tire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a common supply pipe, a number of sections composed of independent open pipes, forextinguishing purposes, and valvesinterposed between the common supply and each section, of a system of closed operating pipes, a Bourdon tube attached at one end of said pipe and at the other to the valve and adapted to be actuated by pressure created in times of danger within the operating pipes, substantially as described and stated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL LOMBARD.

Witnesses:

1-1. E. Lonen, FRANCIS C. STANwooD.

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